Detergent and method of making it



?atented Apr. 2, 1940 STATES 2,195,581 DETERGENT AND METHOD or c 1r John Ross, New York, N. Y., assignor to Colgate- Palmolive-Peet Company, Jersey City, N. J a corporation of Delaware No Drawing.

Application July 9, 1937,

Serial No. 152,829

18 Claims. (Cl. 260--513) This invention relates to a novel process for preparing wetting, deterging and emulsifying agents and more particularly to the production of certain organic halide hydroxy sulphonates, poly- 5 halide organic sulphonates and/or polyhydroxy organic sulphonates which are useful as detergents etc., or intermediates in the preparation thereof.

Numerous substituted sulphonated compounds have been dscribed, some of which are especially eflicient as wetting, cleaning and emulsifying agent, but they are usually expensive and difficult to prepare. A simple and economical method has now been discovered for the production of certain sulphonated materials which are useful as wetting, cleaning and/or emulsifying compounds, or intermediates in the preparation 0 such compounds.

More specifically, the present invention is directed to the preparation of efiectiv'e sulphonated wetting and emulsifying agents and intermediates from olefine halides. When unsubstituted olefine halides having between 3 and carbon atoms, preferably between 3 and 8 carbon atoms, inclusive, and preferably of the type represented by ally] chloride are treated with oleum, chlorsulphonic acid or sulphur trioxide and the resulting product neutralized and treated with caustic alkali solution under certain condiso tions, a chlor hydroxy sulphonate or a dichlor sulphonate is obtained which can be converted into a dihydroxy sulphonate, if desired,

The source of the specific olefine halide used in the process is immaterial; allyl chloride, for example, may be obtained by treating propylene derived from cracking gases, in accordance with Patent 1,477,047 to Harry Essex et al.

According to the preferred procedure an olefine halide having the halogen substituted ona carbon 2 adjacent to a carbon having an olefine linkage, is dissolved in a solvent which is stable to the sulphonating agent. Examples of suitable solvents are: chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and ethylene dichloride. However, liquid sulphur dioxide is the most desirable solvent since it efiects increased yields of products with better color and odor than can be obtained by using other solvents. The use of a solvent minimizes side reactions 0 such as oxidation and polymerization, andthereeither at a relatively low temperature (-10 C.

or lower) or under increased pressure or both.

The solution of olefine halide held at a temperature of about 10 C. and at atmospheric pressure (or at a slightly higher temperature and under increased pressure) is treated with a sulphonating agent, preferably a solution of sulphur trioxide in liquid sulphur dioxide; either by the addition of the halogen substituted olefine solution to the sulphonating agent or vice versa.

The quantity of sulphur trioxide or oleum should be equivalent to one mole of sulphur trioxide (SzOs) for each mole of the halogen substituted olefine. Chlorsulphonic acid which will react at the double bond of an olefine may also be used. During the mixing of the olefine halide solution with the sulphonating agent and the subsequent reaction period the mixture is constantly agitated. When operating under pressure, at no time should the temperature of the mixture rise above 10 C. A jacketed autoclave provided with a stirring device, thermometer and pressure gauge is desirable for conducting the reaction when using pressure since it permits close control' of the conditions of the reaction.

by release of the pressure. The sulphur dioxide free material is mixed with about three times its volume of ice water, keeping the temperature below-20 C. to avoiddiscoloration of the product. This solution is then boiled for fifteen minutes to an hour, and the substituted carbyl sulphate formed by sulphonation is thus converted to an alkyl halide hydroxy sulphonate. The alkyl halide from the solution as the free sulphonic acid or neutralized with caustic alkali or lime. The yield is in the range of 80% of the theoretical.

The halogen substituted alkyl hydroxy sulphonic acid or salts thereof may be converted into an alkyl polyhydroxy sulphonate by adding it to water containing around 5 to 20% of an alkali such as caustic soda and boiling the combined solution for about one hour. This solution is neutralized with dilute sulphuric acid and may be concentrated until the inorganic salts are removed by crystallization. Th' final mother liquor contains the alkyl polyhydroxy sodium sulphonate which can be extracted therefrom by any suitable solvent such as butyl alcohol.

The following specific examples are given for a better understanding of the invention.

Exmu: I

Propane I-chloro Z-hydroxy 3-sodium sulphonate-To a solution of .80 parts of sulphur trioxide in 800 parts of liquid sulphur dioxide in' a Dewar flask was gradually added, with stirring, a solution of 38 parts of allyl chloride in 250 parts of liquid sulphur dioxide contained another Dewar flask. The reaction proceeded very smoothly and at the'finish there were deposited prism-shaped crystals of the substituted carbyl sulphate from the amber yellow solution. The temperature throughout the reaction was 10 C.

The sulphur dioxide was distilled off, the residue taken up in ice water and the solution raised to the boiling point while being partially neutralized by the addition of barium carbonate until there was no further precipitation of barium sulphate. The filtrate was finally neutralized with caustic soda and concentrated until it began to crystallize. The sodium salt of propane l-chloro 2-hydroxy 3-sulphonic acid which was deposited as shining prisms, was recrystallized from boiling dilute ethyl alcohol to remove all impurities. The yield was 78 parts or 80% of theory.

This material appears to be identical with propane l-chloro Z-hydroxy 3-sodium sulphonate prepared bythe addition of sodium bisulphite to epichlorohydrin according to the method of Darmstaedter, Liebigs Ann. Chem. 148, 126, (1868). Substituted allyl halides such as 2- methyl allyl chloride (chlorisobutylene) may be used in place of or along with the allyl chloride in this example.

. EXAMPLE II Propane Lz-dihydroxy 3-sodz'um sulphonates.-- 200 parts of propane l-chloro 2-hydroxy 3- sodium sulphonate were prepared as above and the sodium salt was dissolved in 1,000 parts of water. parts of caustic soda were added and the solution boiled one hour. After neutralization with dilute sulphuric acid the solution was concentrated and the inorganic salts removed by crystallizing out and filtering ofl. The mother liquid containing the propane dihydroxy sodium sulphonate was further concentrated and the product obtained as a solid crystalline mass which melted below 100 C.

ExAMrLs III bi-phloro-propane sodium suZphonate.-To 38 parts of allyl chloride dissolved in 200 parts of liquid sulphur dioxide in a Dewar flask were gradually added with stirring, 58 parts of chlorosulphonic acid. Reaction proceeded very smoothly and was complete within a half hour. The temperature was maintained at 10 C. The sulphur dioxide was distilled off and the residue was taken up in about five volumes of ice water and the product boiled 20 minutes and neutralized with caustic soda. Upon concentration, 100 parts of crystalline di-chloro-propane sodium sulphonate were obtained.

EXAMPLE IV Propane di-hydroary sodium sulphonate-200 parts of the di-chloro-propane sodium sulphonate were treated with caustic soda according to the procedure in Example II and yielded substantially the theoretical quantity of propane dihydroxy sodium sulphonate.

EXAMPLEV Hemadecane chloro, hydroxy sodium sulpho- 'nate.-258 parts of chloro-hexadecene were slowly added over a period of one half hour to a solution of 160 parts of sulphur trioxide in 1000 parts of liquid sulphur dioxide. The solution was vigorously agitated during the mixing and subsequent reaction period which was about one hour. The temperature was held at 10 C.

When the reaction was completed, the temperature was permitted to rise to +5 C. thus removing the sulphur dioxide from the reaction products. Ice water was slowly added while holding the temperature below 20 C. until the liquid separated into two layers. After removing the oily layer the mixture was then washed with a low boiling solvent such as ethyl ether and the ether layer separated from the water layer containing the water-soluble ohloro-substituted hexadecane hydroxy sulphonic acid. The latter solution was boiled and then neutralized with caustic soda. The water solution of the hexadecane chloro, hydroxy sodium sulphonate was then extracted with a suitable solvent, for example, butyl alcohol. This compound and usually those which contain at least 12 carbon atoms can be used directly as an emulsifying or deterging agent.

Other halogen substituted olefines such as chloro-8-dodecene-6 and chloro-3 hexadecene-l, can be used in place of or in combination with the chloro-1 hexadecene-2.

Exsmnn VI Dihydroxy hexadecane sodium sulphonate. The chloro hexadecane hydroxy sodium sulphonate prepared as above was treated with a boiling caustic soda solution according to the procedure outlined in Example 11 to form the dihydroxyhexadecane sodium sulphonate.

The halogen substituted aliphatic hydroxy sulphonates can be reacted with alkali salts of organic or inorganic acids to form the corresponding esters such as the phosphates, borates, oleates, stearates, phthalates, oxalates, succinates and maleates. The polyhydroxy aliphatic sulphonates can similarly be converted into the esters of the organic acids by use of the corresponding acid, acid chloride or acid anhydride.

While the above outlined process is preferably directed to the use of halogen substituted monooleflne hydrocarbons 01' the allyl halide type including those having straight and branched chain and cyclic saturated hydrocarbon radicals substituted on the allyl halide nucleus, it is within the contemplation of this invention to use any monoor poly-halogen substituted olefine hydrocarbon whether straight or branched chain or having alicyclic substitutions thereon.

I claim:

1. A process for producing alkyl hydroxy sulphonates which comprises treating a halogen substituted olefine with a strong acidic sulphonating agent, diluting with water, boiling the dilute water solution and treating with strong alkali to yield a polyhydroxy alkyl sulphonate.

2. A process for producing alkyl halide sulphonates which comprises treating an organic halide of the group consisting of straight and branch chain oleflne monoand polyhalides, and alicyclic olefine monoand polyhalides, with a strong sulphonating agent.

3. A process for producing halogen substituted alkyl hydroxy sulphonates which comprises treating a liquid sulphur dioxide solution of an olefine halide with a strong sulphonating agent.

removing S02, diluting with water and boiling the water solution.

4. A process for producing a chlorhydrin sulphonic act which comprises treating allyl chlo- 10; An alkyl halide hydroxy sulphonate containing at least 12 carbon atoms in which the halogen, hydroxy and sulphonate groups are on consecutive carbons atoms.

ride with a liquid sulphur dioxide solution of 11. An alkyl dihydroxy mono-sulphonate con- 5 sulphur trioxide, removing SOz, diluting with taining at least 12 carbon atoms in which the water and boiling the water solution. hydroxy and sulphonate groups are on consecu- 5. A process for preparing sulphonated detive carbon atoms. 'tergents which comprises treating an olefine hal- 12. A process for preparing polyhalogen sub- W ide containing at least 12 carbon atoms in which stituted sulphonates which comprises treating a the halogen substituent is on a carbon atom adhalogen substituted olefine with a halogen suljacent to a carbon having an olefine group, with phonic acid.

a strong acidic sulphonating agent, diluting with 13. A process for producing a halogen substi- I water, boiling the water solution and neutraliztuted propane sulphonic acid which comprises 15 ing with alkali to form a long chain alkyl sultreating allyl halide with a strong sulphonating 15 phonate having at least two substituents from agent. the group consisting of hydroxyl and halide radi- 14. A poly alo S t te al su ph nate cals. having a greater number of halogen substituents 6. A process for preparing alkyl halide hythansulphonate radicals.

droxy sulphonates which comprises sulphonat- 15. An alkyl polyhydroxy sulphonate having 20 ing with a sulphonating agent of the group conat least 12 carbon atoms and a greater number sisting of oleum, sulphur trioxicle and chlor-sulof hydroxyl groups than sulphonate radicals. phonic acid, an olefine halide in which the halo- 16. A polysubstituted alkyl sulphonate having gen substituent is on a carbon atom other than at least 12 carbon atoms and having a number 2 those having an olefine linkage, diluting with of radicals of the class consisting of halogen and water and boiling the water solution. hydroxy groups in excess of the number of sul- '7. A process of preparing beta methyl glycerol phonate radicals. sulphonates which comprises reacting 2 methyl 17. A polyhalogen substituted alkyl sulphonate allyl chloride with chlor-sulphonic acid, diluting having at least 12 carbon atoms and having a so with water, boiling the water solution and treatgreater number of halogen substituents than sul- 3O ing with strong alkali to hydrolyze the halogen phonate'radicals. substituents. 18. A process for preparing polysubstituted al- 8. An alkyl halide hydroxy sulphonate con kyl sulphonates which comprises treating a haltaining at least 12 carbon atoms. ogen substituted olefine with a strong acidic sul- 9. An alkyl dihydroxy mono-sulphonate conphonating agent.

taining at least 12 carbon atoms.

JOHN ROSS.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,195,581.

JOHN ROSS.

April 2, 19140 'It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, first column, line 10, for "dscriloed" read -described; line 12, for "agent" read --agents-; and second column, line 57, after "halide" insert --hydroxy sulphonate may either be separated--; page 2, first column, line 56,' for "sulphonates" read sulphonate; page 5, first column, line 1;, for "act" read '-acid-; and thatthe said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office;

Signed and sealed this 25th day of June, A.'D. 1914.0.

' Henry Van Arsdale,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

(Seal) CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,19 81. A r-112, 191w.

JOHN ROSS.

'It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, first column, line 10, for "dscrihe'd" read -described-; line 12, for "agent" read --a.gents-; and second column, line 57, after "halide" insert --hydroxy sulphonate may either be separated; page 2, first column, line 56, for "sulphonates" read sulphonate; page 5, first column, iine LL, for "act" read '--acid-; and that the said Letters Patent shouldbe read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of June, A.D. 19140.

- Henry Van Arsdale,

(Seal) Acting Conn'uissioner of Patents. 

